Balakot dwellers to mark quake anniversary amid protest

MANSEHRA: The people and traders in Balakot will mark the 12th anniversary of 2005 earthquake amid shutter down and protest today.

“We would observe complete shutdown to mark the day and hold Quran Khawani at mass grave of 80 students who were killed in the devastating earthquake some 12 years ago,” Javed Iqbal, the president of trader’s body in Balakot, told reporters on Saturday.

He said that it was a great tragedy, which could never be forgotten by people of Balakot.

“Over 30,000 people were killed when our city was crumbled into ruins by the earthquake,” said Iqbal.

Mian Ashraf, the president of action committee of survivors of red zone in Balakot, said that they would observe the 12th anniversary of the tragedy as ‘black day’ and take out a protest rally.

“The survivor families have been residing in makeshift shelters since the tragedy hit the region. And neither the federal nor the provincial governments are sincere in allotting plots to them in new Balakot city housing project,” said Ashraf.

Lamenting delay, he added that the mega housing project was scheduled to be completed in 2011.